Garment hanger



Dec. 9, E952 W, E MAR-HN 2,620,953

GARMENT HANGER Filed Nov. 5, 1947 Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATESATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to garment hangers and more specically to certainimprovements incorporated in a newly d-esigned metal type of wire hangerenhancing the field of use thereof by reason of such improvements.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a generalutility hanger having multiple means for holding different kinds ofgarments while transporting the same or for storage purposes in clothesclosets, etc., which multiple means are embodied as clamp units formedand arranged to suspend certain garments from the hanger which normallyrequired special kinds of separate hangers for this pur- Pose.

It is another object of this invention to utilize a common coat or dressholding wire hanger of single Wire construction and to form portions ofsaid single wire into clamp means which do not interfere with the normaluse of the hanger but which provide additional means for supportingwomens skirts, womens slacks, mens trousers and other similar garmentsof this kind.

This invention also provides clamp means of improved design each ofwhich have dual gripping elements to tightly grip the garment orgarments submitted thereto to insure against dislodgement under allnormal handling conditions.

' To further increase the efficiency of the hanger it is contemplated tovary the gripping effects of the dual or multiple portions of each ofthe clamping units so as to equalize the tension between both holdingzones for the purpose of accommodating clothes of various thickness as'would be exemplified by a pair of trousers wherein the combinedthicknesses of the cus are considerably greater than the combinedthicknesses of the leg portions thereof. This same arrangement wouldwell apply to a womans skirt since the double thickness of the waistband is comparably much thicker than the thickness of the two adjacentportions of the skirt proper.

A further object of the present hanger and more specically of theclamping units made a part thereof is to provide such clamps withoverlapping portions that form a means to easily open such clamps forthe insertion of a garment. The units have oppositely disposed wireelements that will cause a separation between the entry clamping partsto facilitate insertion of a garment.

And this function may be readily carried out with little effort througha twist of such opposite -parts by the fingers.

All other objects and advantages relating to hangers of the presentinvention shall hereinafter be emphasized in the following detaileddescription having reference to the accompanying drawings disclosing apreferred construction of hanger together with certain modificationsthereof all coming within the purview of the fundamental concept oi thisinvention, such drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general side elevational view of a hanger designed inaccordance with the advantageous features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of one of theclamping means employed by the hanger of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional View of the clamping means toillustrate certain details of construction thereof and substantially asviewed along the line 3--3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is another cross sectional View taken horizontally through theclamping means and substantially as indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 2looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fragmentary part of a hangerillustrating a modified clamping means incorporated into a garmenthanger;

Fig. `6 is a bottom view of the portion of the hanger shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is another perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a garmenthanger illustrating a still further modified arrangement of clampingmeans; and

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the modied clamping means shown in Fig. 7.

The hanger of the present construction preferably comprises a singlecontinuous length of metal wire formed as an open loop by means of alower run l terminating in a spaced pair of vertical legs 2 and 3 havingdiagonally positioned garment shoulder supporting wires 4 and 5, thelatter continuing toward each other` in the general plane of the hangerwith wire 5 ending in a supporting hook 6 and with Wire 4 having its endl coiled about the stem portion of the hook 6 to complete the hangerloop.

Intermediate the lower run I of the hangel` are formed a pair ofclamping means generally indicated at 8 and 9 that are appropriatelyspaced from each other and from the end legs 2 and 3 of the hanger forbest accommodating certain articles of clothing both as to clamping samesecurely or as to having such articles draped over run l between themeans 8 and 9 or between either of the former and their next adjacenthanger legs 2 or 3.

As best seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, each of the hanger means 8 and 9 areconstructed by offsetting the midportion I of the lower run I of thehanger and by overlapping portions of the ends of the wire I0 and wire Ias indicated at II and I2 respectively in Fig. 4. At the terminal endsof the overlap, wires I and I0 each have vertical legs I3 and I4,continuing in horizontal runs I5 and I6 which come together in anoverlap substantially centrally of the overlap of the clamp means. Atthe overlapping meeting points of runs I5 and I8 the continuous wire ofthe hanger is vertically formed into a second Wire loop to provide aclamp loop I1 that lies in a plane angularly disposed with respect tothe general plane of the hanger per se, and as here illustrated is shownas formed at right angles to the plane of the hanger. All of thedescribed wire parts together form a resilient Wire loop that functionsto clamp and hold garments.

With clamp means of this arrangement it is possible to obtain dualclamping parts for each individual clamp as indicated at spacedlocations at I8 and I9. The clamp part I8 is made through the overlap IIand I2, while the loop I1 has its starting ends resulting in the meetingof wires I5 and I6 to form the loop and to provide the clamp part I9 inspaced and superimposed relation with respect to the lower run of wireI.

Loops I1 also serve to limit the upward insertion of a garment into thehanger clamps 8 and 9. As seen in Fig. 3, it may also be advantageous tospace the opposite clamp wire ends at I9 to create a larger initialopening at this point while having the coacting overlapping wires II andI2 in contact at I8. In so doing. cuifs of trousers may be compensatedfor during insertion of that portion of the garment into the clamps, bythe equalization of the clamping efforts of the two coacting wire partsat each of the clamping locations I8 and I9. In other words, the totalthickness of the two cuffs will not cause an overspread between the wireparts at I9 which would tend to separate the connected wire parts at I8to reduce the actual clamping eiectiveness of the parts at clamp pointI8.

With this garment hanger and with the incorporating of the two dualclamping means and 9 into one of the runs of the same, preferably thelower run I, a very efficient hanger results having wide utility in viewof its flexibility of application.

Figs. 5 and 6 depict a modified arrangement providing a garment clampcomposed of a gothic loop having curved wires 2l and 22 meeting at 23,the apex or top of the loop, and the wires 2I and 22 lead from theoverlapping ends 24 and of the offset wires 26 and 21 respectively. Theloop in general comprising wires 2I, 22 and 23 is angularly disposedwith respect to the general plane of the hanger as best seen in dottedlines in Fig. 6 and this angle may be varied if desired and moreparticularly if an initial separation may be wanted between theoverlapping portions of wires 26 and 21 for garment entry purposes.

In the hanger shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the wires 3I and 32 are disposedangularly with respect to the horizontal hanger wires 33 and 34. In thisform of clamp means. it should be noted that the wires 3| and 32 alsooverlap and cross at 35 to form a second clamp zone coactlng with theoverlapping wires 33 and 34 forming the first clamping zone at 36.

Wires 3l and 32 are connected with the upper contiguous wire section 31which joins such wires at substantially horizontal points 38 and 39, andwire 31 is also disposed angularly with respect to the general plane ofthe hanger as best seen in Fig. 8. 'I'he angle of wire 31 with respectto the hanger plane may also be varied with apparent facility to obtainvariations in the separation of the clamping parts at 35 and 36 of thecrossed loops shown in Figs. 1 and 8. This may be done for easy entry ofa garment or to accommodate various thicknesses of the same garment asmay be encountered at the fastening portion of the garment with thehanger.

In conclusion, it should be noted that each of the forms of hanger shownhas further means to cause separation of the clamping parts to receive agarment therebetween. This holds true whether the wire portions of theclamp are normally together or slightly spaced since the parts used toseparate the clamping elements of the wires will be effective in eithercase.

In the first form, the wires I5 and I6 of each of the clamps 8 or 9, maybe urged oppositely with the fingers in a plane angularly disposed withrespect to the plane of the hanger and in a direction wherein the loopI1 forms a virtual pivotal axis. This will cause a separation of theoverlapping wires II and I2 as this action is transmitted to such wiresthrough the legs I3 and I4. Obviously the direction of twist of thefingers must be clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the same results obtain byurging wires 2l and 22 oppositely in the same manner. In Figs. 'I and 8,the clamp can be manipulated similarly by opposite actuation of the loopwires 3I and 32 causing a separation between the clamp zones 35 and 36.It is also possible to obtain some of the action by twisting the wire 31although this action may be more effective at the point 35 than at 36all depending upon the length of wire 31 to provide the necessaryleverage. Analogously, a twist of loop I1 would have a similar effectdepending upon the leverage necessary and if the twist is made clockwiseas viewed in Fig. 4.

The hanger described and its various modified constructions allcontribute to produce an inexpensive and practical hanger havingadvantages and utility that are deemed to be improvements in this art.

Any other modifications or variations in the exact construction, shapeof the elements, combinations of parts, or in the substitution ofequivalent means in the hanger of this invention shall be governed by`the breadth and scope of the language in the appended claims directedto the salient features incorporated in the hanger of the presentdesign.

What I claim is:

l. A wire garment hanger having one run thereof adapted for supportingskirts or other similar garments comprising a pair of aligned wiresections, an offset wire section extending therebetween and overlappingportions of said aligned wire sections, and single wire loops, each ofsaid single wire loops connecting one terminal end of said offset wiresection with an adjacent terminal end of one of the aligned wiresections to support garments by insertion thereof between theoverlapping portions of said respective wire sections, each of said wireloops having portions thereof disposed to overlap in spaced relationwith respect to the aforesaid overlapping Wire sections to further graspand hold supported garments.

2. A wire garment hanger having a run thereof adapted for supportingskirts or other similar garments comprising a pair of aligned end Wires,an olset intermediate Wire extending between said end wires andoverlapping portions thereof, and individual resilient wire loops, eachof said individual wire loops having its end portions directlyconnecting one of the ends of said intermediate Wire and one of theadjacent portions of said end wires respectively to normally urge theoverlapping portions of the wires together for supporting garmentstherebetween, said resilient loops each having portions thereof disposedadjacent to each other and in spaced relation with respect to theaforesaid overlapping wires to further grasp and hold supportedgarments.

3. A wire garment hanger having a run thereof adapted for supportingskirts or other similar garments comprising a pair of aligned end wires,an offset intermediate wire extending between said end wires andoverlapping portions thereof, and individual resilient Wire loops, eachof said individual wire loops having its end portions directlyconnecting one of the ends of said intermediate wire and with theadjacent portions of said end wires respectively to normally urge theoverlapping portions of the wires together for supporting garmentstherebetween, said individual wire loops each being disposed in radiallyprojecting relation with respect to the line of contact of theoverlapping wires and including adjacent parts to additionally grasp andhold supported garments at points spaced from the line of contact of theaforesaid overlapping wires.

4. A wire garment hanger having a run thereof adapted for supportingskirts or other similar garments comprising a pair of aligned end wires,an offset intermediate wire extending between said end wires andoverlapping portions thereof, and single resilient wire loops, each ofsaid single loops having end portions for directly connecting one of theends of said intermediate wire and one of the adjacent portions of saidend wires respectively to normally urge the overlapping portions of thewires together for supporting garments therebetween, said resilient wireloops including overlapping sections, and resilient means connected withsaid sections to urge same into garment grasping relation to supplementthe overlapping garment clamping portions of the intermediate and endwires to provide dual garment clamping means.

5. A wire garment hanger having a run thereof adapted for supportingskirts or other similar garments comprising a pair of aligned end wires,an offset intermediate wire extending between said end wires andoverlapping portions thereof, and independent resilient wire loops eachcornprising a single wire loop for directly connecting one of the endsof said intermediate wire and one of the adjacent portions of said endwires respectively to normally urge the overlapping portions of thewires together for supporting garments therebetween, said resilient wireloops each having overlapping sections, and a second Wire loop connectedwith the overlapping sections of said resilient wire loops for coactionwith said overlapping garment clamping portions of the intermediate andend wires to provide dual garment clamping means, and said second wireloop of each clamping means having a part thereof disposed in a planeangularly positioned with respect to the plane of the associatedresilient wire loop to limit the extent of garment insertion into saiddual clamping means.

6. A clamping unit for one wire portion of a metal garment hangercomprising at least two hanger supported wires having their endsadjacently positioned to overlap and to form a first garment grippingmeans, wire legs connected with the terminal portions of said wire endsand extending angularly away from said wires, said legs each having wirefingers adjacently disposed to overlap and to form a second garmentgripping means spaced from said first garment gripping means and inparallel relation thereto, and a resilient single open wire loopconnected between the ends of the wire iingers to maintain said rst andsecond garment gripping means in garment grasping position, said secondgarment gripping means being interposed between said open wire loop andsaid first garment gripping means, and the closed curved end of saidopen wire loop comprising a limit stop for a garment when the latter isfully inserted for retainment by the dual garment gripping means.

'7. A clamping unit for one run of wire of an open center garment hangercomprising at least two supported wire ends carried by said one run andin adjacent and overlapping position to provide a first garment graspingmeans, upright wires continuing from the terminal portions of said wireends into the open center part of said hanger, wire legs connected withsaid uprights and arranged to adjacently overlap in spaced relation tosaid first garment grasping means to provide a second and separategarment grasping means disposed within the open center of said wirehanger and in parallel relation to said first means, and a resilientwire loop connecting said wire legs to normally maintain the cooperativewire parts of the garment grasping means against a garment insertedbetween said means, said wire loop comprising a stop to limit the extentof garment insertion between said garment grasping means and into theopen center of said garment hanger.

WILLIAM E. MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 588,560 Evans Aug. 24, 18972,145,120 Loveless Jan. 24, 1939 2,238,519 Drake Apr. 15, 1941

